Three Men Charged After Austin Shooting Sparks Lockdown
Austin, MN (KROC-AM News) - Three men have been charged in connection with the shooting that prompted a shelter-in-place order in Austin earlier this week.
3 Men Arraigned on Long List of Charges
Twenty-year-old Izaiah Frank Fuentes and 25-year-old Joe Lewis Castaneda were both arraigned in Mower County Court today on multiple counts of first-degree burglary, illegal possession of a firearm, and second-degree assault. The third Austin man charged in the case, 26-year-old Alex Matthew Perry, was arraigned on three counts of aiding and abetting first-degree burglary and aiding and abetting second-degree assault.
Charges: Shooting Occurred During Home Invasion
The charges allege that Perry drove the other two men to an address in southeast Austin shortly after 9 a.m. on Monday. It's alleged that Fuentes and Castaneda then exited the vehicle and pulled hoods up over their heads to conceal their identities before entering the residence.
A witness reported watching the men enter the home and then hearing a gunshot and screams coming from inside the house. The criminal complaint says the witness then saw the suspects get back into the car and drive away from the scene.
The court document describes how responding officers went to the home and encountered a man who told them that his friend had called to say he had been shot. The man had keys to the home and assisted the officers in entering the residence, where they found a spent 9 mm shell casing on the kitchen floor.
Police Found Victim at Hospital
A short time later, Austin police were informed that a gunshot victim had been brought to Mayo Clinic Health System Hospital in Austin, where he was interviewed by officers. The victim told police he woke up to his dog barking and found a gun pointed at him when he opened the door.
The criminal complaint says the victim indicated that he leaned forward in an effort to push the gunman out of the home when he heard a boom and then discovered he had been shot. The court document says the bullet entered and exited through a small area of the man's back.
Suspect Vehicle Located Near Crime Scene
The car used by the shooting suspects was located near the crime scene, and the criminal complaint says Fuentes and Castaneda fled on foot after police pulled the vehicle over. Austin police apprehended Castaneda nearby and issued the shelter-in-place order until Fuentes was arrested following a search.
READ MORE: Two Men Arrested Following Austin Shooting Investigation
Perry was driving the vehicle and was taken into custody without incident. The criminal complaint says Austin police located a fully loaded AR-15-style pistol in a backpack in the rear passenger area of the vehicle and a 9 mm handgun where Castaneda had been sitting in the back seat.
Previous Convictions
Court documents indicate Fuentes was previously convicted of second-degree assault and felony threats of violence in 2024, while Castaneda was convicted of illegal possession of a firearm in 2024 and was adjudicated delinquent as a juvenile in Texas for second-degree burglary.
Conditional bail for Castaneda is set at $250,000, while conditional bail for Fuentes is set at $340,000.
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